The thin line between Love and Hate
by Vlindervin
Summary: Lily and James have to work together when they are made Head Boy and Head Girl. Things tend to become complicated. And with Voldemort gaining more power, Hogwarts isn't the same as it used to be. People cross the line between love and hate faster than you'd think.
1. Letters from Hogwarts

Head Boy.

James Potter was Head Boy. He couldn't believe it. But there it was. When he had opened his Hogwarts letter, the badge had fallen out. Surely, there had to be a mistake. Maybe he had received the wrong letter. Maybe Remus had gotten his and James Remus's but the instant that thought went through his head, he knew it wasn't true. Dumbledore didn't make mistakes like that. And the name on the envelope clearly said: James Potter.

,,Hey, Prongs. Your mum says dinner's ready." Sirius had appeared on the doorway of James's room.

,,I'm Head Boy", James uttered in bewilderment

,,Yeah, right! No offence, James, but your jokes are getting lame. I don't know, are you growing too old or something?"

,,Padfoot, I'm serious."

,,No. _I_ 'm Sirius. _You_ are James."

,,Oh, and _my_ jokes are lame? But, really. I'm not kidding! Look" James held up the red badge with the words 'Head Boy' written on it in gold.

,,Dear God in Heaven!", Sirius shrieked. He approached James to have a closer look at the badge. He shook his had with a sad expression on his face. "Dumbledore has officially gone mad. I sort of suspected it after his speech last year, but now it's confirmed."

,,I know! What's the matter with him? I can dock point and give people detention. Does he really think I'm not going to take advantage of that? I'm not to be trusted with that much power!"

,, Boys, what's going on? Come down!" Mrs. Potter's voice rang through the air. The two friends had completely forgotten that they were expected. Together they walked down the stairs and entered the large dining-room. They sat down at the large oak table. Mr. and Mrs. Potter were already waiting.

,,What took you so long?", Mr. Potter asked. Fleamont Potter was a man around forty years old. He had the same black hair as James and you clearly saw that he was James's father.

,,You probably won't believe this but euhm…I have been made Head Boy.", James answered.

,,Are you serious, James? That's wonderful! Oh, darling, I'm so proud of you." And Mrs. Potter really did look proud. Her brown eyes sparkled with excitement; ,,I'll see if there's still cake left from yesterday." And with that she left for the kitchen.

,,And what do you think, Mr. Potter? Are _you_ proud of Little Jamie?", Sirius asked while squeezing James's cheeks. James slapped his hand away before looking at his father, waiting for his answer.

,,Yes! I think you're going to make a terrific Head Boy."

,,Seriously, Dad?"

,,No. Dumbledore's too old to make decisions like that. I think he's going insane."

Head Girl

Lily Evans was made Head Girl. No one was surprised, really. She had been a prefect and had been perfect for it. Still, when she saw the red badge who matched her red hair, she couldn't help but smile. One look at the clock told her she should get going, though. She was supposed to meet her friend Mary. She had known Mary since she was like… three or something. Mary was the only one of her muggle friends who knew she was a witch. She was her best, best friend and Lily hadn't been able to keep it hidden from her. All the other people she had known before Hogwarts thought she just went to boarding school somewhere. But Mary, Lily just couldn't lie to her. Lily had been afraid that maybe Mary would think she was a freak too, like her sister did, but she took the news surprisingly well. She wanted to know every detail about Hogwarts and Lily told her everything. They missed each other terribly during school, but this way they had more to talk about when Lily came back for the holidays.

Quickly Lily looked at herself in the mirror and left the house. They were meeting in the cute coffee-shop in the village they lived. Lily took her old bike in the garage (she always went by bike when she was at home) and after five minutes, she arrived. She left her bike in front of the coffee-shop and entered the place. There were some people, but not more than seven in total. That was one of the many reasons Lily and Mary loved the place so much. It was never really crowded. The other reasons were that it always smelled like mint and that it was simply cute. Mary wasn't there yet so Lily sat down at a table in a corner. Mary was always late. Lily was used to it by now. She ordered an Ice Tea. She loved Butterbeer and pumpkin juice, of course, but sometimes when she was at Hogwarts she just really wanted some ice tea. Lily didn't wait too long. After five minutes Mary entered. Her blue eyes scanned the room looking for Lily. When she saw her, she started smiling and came closer. Her blond curls moved beautifully every time she took a step. Lily liked her own red hair. Well, she did now. For a long time she had hated it. She was different. Her hair made her stand out from the rest. People always noticed her first. But over the years she had grown used to it and eventually, she had started to even like it. Sometimes she just wished her hair curled. And it wasn't a bad thing to be different, after all. She was a witch. That made her different from a lot of people.

,,Hi, Honey! How are you?", Mary asked after ordering a Coke

,,Great! You look so happy, what happened?" It was true. Mary just couldn't stop smiling and her eyes shone even more than usual.

,,Luke finally asked me out! I ran into him on the way here. That's why I'm late. We're going to see a movie Friday night!" Mary was beautiful and boys saw that too. She got asked out a lot but she didn't often say yes. Luke, however, was different. There it was the other way around. Mary liked Luke very much and they had known each other for a very long time, but he never even gave the slightest hint that he liked her. At all. Mary had been waiting for this moment for months now.

,,Oh, Mary, I'm so happy for you!" ,,Yeah, me too. And you? No one you like?"

,,Oh, I don't know." There was someone Lily liked, but with Hogwarts she thought it wasn't worth all that if it was just for the summer.

,,C'mon! Who is it? Ooh, I know! Is it that one guy we always see at parties and stuff? The curly-haired one?" Mary had always been good at reading Lily's mind. Normally people found it really hard to find out what she was thinking, but Mary had known her for such a long time that they knew each other in and out.

,,Yes. But before you say anything, I'm going to Hogwarts in two weeks and I'm not starting something now."

,,It doesn't have to be serious. You can just have fun, you know. Without any strings attached."

,,I know, but I don't want to." Mary looked at her and made it clear that she thought that was a stupid reason but let it go and starting talking about Luke again.

The day before school started again, Lily's mother had invited Petunia and her fiancé Vernon for dinner. Lily had wanted to ask Mary but her mother had thought it would be nice to be with only family for once. Lily waited anxiously for the evening. Petunia and Lily hadn't been on good terms for a while now and Lily wasn't in the mood for any drama today. At six o'clock the bell rang. Petunia and Vernon had arrived. Lily arranged her makeup and her hair a little before. descending the stairs to greet them both. She had done her best to look perfect. She wore a dress which she knew Petunia would approve of. She looked as normal as could be.

,,Hi, petunia!" Lily kissed her sister on both cheeks, pretending to be happy to see her. ,,Good evening, Vernon. How are you." She didn't touch him. Petunia had told him that Lily was a witch about a month ago and Petunia had warned her that he wanted to stay away from her ant that she should too

,,Lily", he answered with a nod in her direction. First they all sat down in the living-room. Lily's mother brought some tea and biscuits. At first everything went well. Maybe a stranger wouldn't believe they were a family, they were all rather cold an distant from one another, but at least they were polite and no one said things he or she would regret afterwards. Only Mrs. Evans was truly happy and interested in what the others had to say. Mr. Potter found the whole situation terribly awkward. Which it was. He didn't say much but you could see by the way his eyes flashed from Petunia to Lily waiting for someone to explode and shatter the whole thing like porcelain. After some time, dinner was ready and everyone moved to the dining-room. Her mother had made Lily's favourite dish: spaghetti Bolognaise. It was simple but Lily loved it.

,,Mum, it's delicious! This is one of the things I miss most when I am at school. The food at Hogwarts is great but not as good as your spaghetti." The moment the words had escaped her mouth, Lily realized she'd made a huge mistake. The subject of Hogwarts, or anything related, had been carefully avoided during their former conversation.

,,Well, that's because it isn't real food ,is it? It's magic. It's probably really unhealthy and full of rubbish, too.", Petunia muttered. Lily's mother tried to fix it by ignoring Petunia's comment and thanking Lily, but the damage was done.

,,That's not true, Petunia and you know it. The food at Hogwarts is as healthy as anywhere else. If it isn't even better.", Lily responded calmly. Vernon looked terrified. He'd never heard Lily talk about Hogwarts before and he didn't like it. That didn't escape Lily's notice. She'd seen it in the beginning of the evening but didn't want to say anything about it.

,,And what the hell did you even tell Vernon I _do_ at Hogwarts, anyway? We don't walk around with a black hat, all the time. We don't learn how to make poisonous apples, you know, Vernon. You don't have to be so scared."

,,Don't listen to her, Vernon. She's a _witch._ She'll put a spell on you if you aren't careful." Vernon looked as if he just wanted to disappear.

Lily threw her fork and knife on her plate and said: ,,I'm sick of this! I don't want to have this argument again, alright? I know you think I'm a freak, Petunia. But, honestly, I don't even care anymore. I'm tired of all this so I'll just leave you alone so that _maybe_ you can have a normal evening. Like a _real_ family.", and with those words she left. She opened the door and felt the air on her face. It was still quite warm but it had cooled down enough to be enjoyable. Lily didn't like it when the weather was too hot. She had always preferred autumn and winter over the other seasons. Autumn because she loved the colours who matched her hair and winter because it felt like living in a fairy-tale. Especially at Hogwarts. And of all holidays Christmas was her favourite. She hesitated on the threshold for a while. Maybe she should go back in and apologise. It was probably the last time she would see her sister before going back to Hogwarts. But she pushed that thought away as soon as it came. Lily was proud. Sometimes a little too much. She knew it, too. She decided to go to Mary. Mary would surely know how to console her.


	2. Chapter 2

Before disappearing, Lily kissed her parents goodbye. Her mother had teary eyes. That was normal, of course. She wouldn't be seeing her daughter for a very long time. Lily waited to step through the barrier until they were enough people to disappear unnoticed. That was always hard because her red hair was not easy to miss. She stepped on platform ¾.  
As always, she was amazed by how different everything was on the magical side of King's Cross. There were people walking around in robes and others carrying owls in cages. There were more colours. Some first-years (the muggle-borns) were looking around impressed by all that. Others (mostly those who grew up in a magical family) looked for their friends. When Lily had been here for the first time, she had belonged to the first. She had been standing in a corner with her parents and Petunia. Her parents didn't feel comfortable and Petunia was still mad at her. Now, her parents stayed outside rather than between all the witches and wizards. They were used to it now, except that they weren't really.  
Lily scanned the crowd for her friends. Soon, Lily saw Alice. She was talking to her family so she decided not to bother her. She didn't see anyone else and stepped on the train. She looked for the compartment where she and her friends usually sat. She passed three corridors before opening the door to the right place. Marlene, Liz and Isabelle were already there.  
The three couldn't look more differently if they had wanted to. Marlene only wore red lipstick for makeup. She followed the latest trends and looked very fashionable. She wore her blond hair in a loose bun.  
Liz's name was actually Elisabeth but she didn't feel like it suited her. Her brown hair was cut short and she liked wearing whatever was comfortable. She didn't really care for clothes. Her parents were rich and fancy people. Mostly, they let her be herself. She and Isabelle were often joking about how they should switch families. Isabelle's parents could best be described as hippies and she was rather classical. She loved dresses and skirts. Her black curls fell beautifully on her shoulders. She had a pale skin. Lily thought she was beautiful. Maybe if she didn't have red hair, she would've liked to have black hair.  
,,HI!", Lily said when she entered the compartment.

,,Guess what!", Liz said. She didn't give her time to actually guess. ,,David Abbot kissed Marlene last week! They ran into each other in Diagon Alley. Can you believe it?"

,,But it didn't mean anything, okay? It's no big deal."  
Lily didn't like David Abbot. He'd gone out with almost every girl at school. He _was_ handsome. Lily had to admit. But the problem was that he knew it too well and thought he could get everyone. He was probably right. A lot of girls would just go with it and believe him when he said she was special and stuff. But then he would just leave her as he did with everyone else. That's what had happened to Alice last year. The problem with Alice was that she always thought the best of people. She was way too naïve. She had given herself entirely to him to be rejected after.  
,,That's great!", Lily answered. ,,But what about Alice? Don't you think she would mind?"

,,Of course I thought about Alice. I sent her an owl the minute after he kissed me. She told me she was happy for me, but that I had to be careful and not make the same mistakes as she did.", Marlene said.

,,You see?! If it didn't mean anything, you wouldn't have sent her an owl, would you? You like him. Don't even try to deny it." Liz was almost bouncing up and down her seat.

Marlene blushed and answered: ,,Alright! _Okay,_ I do like him. I know he's no good but the way he looked at me was just so special. I just don't want to get my hopes up and then be disappointed, you know? And he was a really good kisser.", she sighted.

,,Of course he's a good kisser", it was the first thing Isabelle had said ,,He's had a lot of practice."

,,You don't seem really happy for me, Is. Are you alright?"

Isabelle looked at Marlene and answered: ,,I just don't get it. He slept with half the girls at school, he hurt Alice really bad. I'm just surprised you think the way he looked at was special. I'm just concerned about you. Are you planning on going out with him?"

,,I don't know. Maybe. You don't have to worry about me, Isabelle. I can look out for myself, you know. I'm a big girl. I won't do the same as Alice."

,,Speaking of Alice.", Lily said. ,,Where is she? We're almost going."

,,She'll be here soon." Marlene looked out the window. ,,She isn't standing with her parents anymore."  
She was right. Almost immediately, Alice stepped inside.

,,Hi, girls!", she said.

,,Hi!", the girls answered.

,,Do you realise this is the last time we're going to Hogwarts by train. The last time ever!", Lily said while looking out of the window. That thought made her feel a little sad.

* * *

,,Guys! What's up?", Sirius asked when he and James entered the compartment where Peter and Remus were already sitting.

,,Not much. How was your summer?", Remus answered. James thought he looked a little pale. After a couple of seconds he realized the full moon was in two days. He felt embarrassed because he didn't think of it earlier. The two times Remus had changed during summer, the Marauders had stayed at the Potters. There was a lot of space to run around the house.

,,James. We heard you're the new Head-Boy.", Peter shrieked.

,,Do you reckon you'll do better than Matthews?", Remus asked. Scott Matthews had taken more points from Gryffindor than any other and the Marauders had wounded up in detention because of him more than McGonagall had put them in detention Maybe not more than McGonagall, but almost. No one had liked him and, most of the time, he had been the victim of the Marauders' pranks.

,,Should we be careful, now? Are you going to put us in detention, too?", Sirius said.

,,I'm thinking that, maybe, you shouldn't be part of the band anymore, Prongs. Too much responsibility, you know?", Remus added.

,,What?!", James shouted. ,,I'm the glue that holds us all together!"

,,No, I am. For the worst reason, but I still am.", Remus said.

,,You can't just un-Marauder me. And if you think about it, maybe they'll leave us alone a bit. Now that they know I'm supposed to be responsible."

,,Yeah, right!", Peter said. ,,That's just wishful-thinking."

,,And why didn't you say things like that to Remus when he was made a prefect last year."

Remus rolled his eyes and pointed at himself. ,, _Glue_ "

,,Okay, guys. I know you're just fooling with me. Anyway, I have to go inform the prefects of their duties." The three friends looked at each other and couldn't suppress their laughter.

,,Yeah, James. And don't be late or you'll give a bad impression!", Sirius shouted before James closed the door. James knew they were just kidding but what they said was true. He wondered why Dumbledore had made him Head-Boy. He wondered who the Head-Girl was.

* * *

,,What are you doing here, Potter?", Lily opened the door to the compartment where she was supposed to meet with the Head-Boy and the prefects. But the only person there was James Potter. He was sitting with his feet on the seat in front of him. She looked at the door to see the compartment-number to see if she was in the right place. She was. She looked at James for an answer when she noticed the red badge on his robes.

,,Wait. _You_ 're Head-Boy? There has to be a mistake."

,,Your lack of enthusiasm hurts my feelings, you know."

,,Please spare me your sarcasm. If it's true what you say and I'm not still dreaming, then we have to work together. And I don't need sarcastic comments while doing that."

,,If you're not still dreaming? So you admit you dream about me. I knew it. You're actually really happy to work with me, isn't it?"

,,I agree. That wasn't really clear. I meant that this looks like one of my nightmares."

,,Ouch, such harsh words!", James exclaimed while he put a hand on his chest where his heart was. He got up and continued. ,,Listen, I'm not too eager to work with you, either. If my memory doesn't fail me, you called me an arrogant, bullying toerag. You also said you would rather go out with the giant squid than me. So, you do understand that you aren't my favourite person, do you. And to make things clear, I may have had some sort of feelings for you, but those weren't deep. Mostly, it was just a game. So, this said, I hope we can work professionally without you killing me."

,,Okay", Lily answered slowly. ,,I guess we can try." Lily still did not really like James Potter, but she had to admit that he'd grown since fifth year. Last year he hadn't jinxedor hexed as many people as before and there had to be a reason Dumbledore made him Head-Boy.

* * *

When James saw Lily enter the compartment he knew without any doubt that she was Head-Girl. And when he saw her look at the number on the door, he also knew without any doubt that she was as surprised as he had been to find out he was the Head-Boy. When she spoke he knew he was right. Lily Evans was Head-Girl and she didn't like the fact that he was Head-Boy. Who could blame her?  
He meant what he said: Lily Evans wasn't his favourite person. At a certain point he may have had some feelings for her. But it was mostly a game. He thought she was pretty and he knew it wouldn't be easy to win her over. Almost impossible. But he thought that maybe he could. That was over. He had enough pride to stay away from her when rejected. Enough dignity.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Thank you for reading my story. I hope you enjoyed it.  
I know there are probably a lot of grammar mistakes in my writing, but English isn't my native language. I just like it.  
If you liked it, please review. If you didn't like it, review too. It would mean a lot to me.**

Love,  
Vlindervin


	3. Chapter 3

,,In, about, ten minutes you have to patrol the train. Just checking if everything's okay. If there's a problem, come tell me or James.", Lily told the sixth-years who were chosen to be prefects this year.

,,And stay out of compartments who are locked. You never know what's going on in there and I don't think you want to find out. I know what _I_ do when I lock a compartment and it's not pretty, I can assure you", James said with a wink. The prefects didn't laugh and Lily didn't, either. She smiled, though.

,,Just trying to make a joke, but this is fine too", he muttered.

 _What am I even doing here?_ James thought. _These people are in no way like me. Remus would have been better for the job. Hell, even Peter would feel more comfortable. I'm probably better than Sirius, though. He would just storm out the door. Why, Oh why did Dumbledore have to choose me?_

 _How am I going to survive a whole year with this_ clown _next to me?_ Lily thought. _Okay, some of his jokes were funny, but I can't actually laugh, can I? Maybe I can smile. That way I can be polite, but show the prefects that it's not_ really _funny. Yes, I'll do that._

,,We will be here the whole journey, and then we will help escort everyone to the castle."

 _What am I going to do the whole time. Should I talk to Potter or take my book out. Would that be_ very _rude? I understand that the prefects have to be able to find us, but can't we just give them our compartment-number? There's probably a good reason. Dumbledore doesn't do things without a purpose, right?_

 _Stupid rule! Stupid responsibilities! Now, I have to stay in the same room with Lily. Alone! It's going to be horrible. There's no way in Hell that I'm going to do the small talk thing. Maybe I'll just sneak out. But, then, everyone will know. And Lily will think It's about her. I_ can _be in the same room as her without thinking about my humiliations. I will prove it to her. She will see. I don't have any feelings for her anymore!_

When the prefects were gone, Lily sat down and looked out of the window. She still wasn't sure if she should take out a book. James sat down as far from her as possible.  
,,I don't bite, you know", Lily said when she saw where James was sitting.

,,Are you sure? Because you kind of gave me that impression at times."

,,Yes, well. You _were_ bullying my best-friend and blackmailing me in a way."

,,You make it sound so bad."

,,It was bad!"

,,My version, not so much. I was just annoying my worst enemy and joking. But, anyway, I'm sorry."

 _Did James Potter just apologize to me?_

 _Did I just apologize to Lily Evans? What the hell is wrong with me?_

,,Apology accepted. And he's not my best-friend, anymore. I won't stand up for him like that again. He's a jerk."

,,It must be hard losing your best-friend. I'm sorry"

,,No, you're not!"

,,No, I'm not. Not about Snivellus, anyway. I _am_ sorry about the best-friend part. I know how it is to lose your best-friend. Sirius and I got in a fight last year. I didn't talk to him for three weeks. The worst weeks of my life."

,,Wow, you and Sirius are so close. What did he do to make you that made at him?"

,,It's in the past. It's not important. Sirius is like a brother to me. I couldn't stay mad at him forever."

 _Seriously, Lily? Why do you talk to Potter about Severus. They hate each other. How can you be so stupid?  
He sounded genuine, though. When he said he was sorry. And he actually talked to me about his friendship with Sirius. Why? I was so mean to him and it looks like he's changed. Isn't he mad at me?_

 _Why did I just talk about my_ feelings _with Lily Evans, for god's sake? I'm supposed to act like I don't care about her. Because I don't. Why did I just say I was sorry for her. I should've said she was better off without Snivellus instead of acting as if I understand what she's going through. If she thinks I'm some sensitive guy, now, I blame it all on Dumbledore. Dammit! Make a joke to save your head. Quick!_

,,But, are you falling in love with me, yet? That's how it works, isn't it. First the unpopular girl hates the furiously handsome young man, who is admired by all the girls at school. Then one day they talk and the girl realizes the boy feels some of the things she feels. They fall in love and kiss. The only difference is the fact that I do not intend to kiss you, even if you begged me."

,,No, Potter, I'm _still_ not in love with you. And I'm certainly not going to beg you for a kiss. Only in your dreams maybe."

,,Oh, Evans. I know when people are lying. You _are_ slowly falling in love with me. Even if you don't know it ,yet. _I_ do."  
Lily just rolled her eyes. After that they didn't talk much. Lily started reading when the silence lasted longer than ten minutes. James looked out of the window and closed his eyes.

 _Concentrate on your book, Lily._

 _Do not start talking again, James! I forbid you. She's_ reading. _If that's not a sign to leave her alone, then what is?_

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **This chapter was short. Sorry for the mistakes. Review, please!**


	4. Chapter 4

,,Sirius"

Sirius, Remus and Peter walked towards the great hall when Regulus' voice called Sirius. He decided to ignore him.

,,Sirius. Listen to me." Sirius couldn't help but notice the fact that Regulus' voice was deeper than before.

,,Give me one reason why I should" Peter and Remus were waiting for him next to the doors to the great hall. Sirius saw James going towards them. Apparently he finished his prefect duties. He stood next to the two other marauders and looked at Sirius with concern.

,,It's important. And I'm still your brother."

,,By blood maybe. But in my heart you've long been replaced by someone whom I actually care about." If his words hurt Regulus, he didn't show it.

,,Mother is sick. The healers say she hasn't got much time left."

,,So? Why are you telling me this?", Sirius answered. He had not been expecting this. He tried to sound bored. As if he didn't care. Apparently it worked.

,,Is that all you have to say? You can't possibly mean that!?"

,,In fact, I do. Do you expect me to fall down on my knees and sob hysterically? Because I'm not going to do that." Regulus looked at him in disbelief.

,,Your mother is dying!", he shouted. Sirius was pretty sure everyone was watching them. He didn't care. He never did. ,,In a few months she'll be gone. A few weeks maybe, and you're just going to stand pretending it's nothing and it doesn't hurt you, at all?"

,,I'm not pretending."

,, If you can't even show some sympathy for your dying _mother,_ then you actually _do_ have a heart of stone.

,,She's not my mother! She never was. Do you think that it's normal for a parent to reject their child when they're not sorted where they wanted it to. Let me tell you something: it's not! If she truly loved me, if she ever had any maternal feelings towards me, at all, then she wouldn't be able to stop just like that. I'm not the one with a heart of stone. No, wait, maybe I am. But that only means she has none. She doesn't want to see me. I'm a disgrace to the name of black! She's not my mother, but I'm not her son, either." Regulus winces.

,,But, Mother and Father never rejected you", Regulus' voice was weak and vulnerable. Suddenly Sirius recognized the little boy Regulus used to be. The boy who came to Sirius for help. The boy whom Sirius protected like a big brother should. His green eyes used to shine so bright. He used to be happy all the time. Sirius shook his head to make that image disappear and to replace it. Regulus was a boy, almost a man, who followed his parents to the dark arts. The dark mark will probably be put on him in the course of next year, if it wasn't already there. ,,They never rejected you. Not really. I mean, you ran away. They never made you."

,,Didn't they reject me? Maybe they didn't say it with words but I did run away for a reason.  
Let me tell you a story: when I was eleven I got sorted into Gryffindor. I was proud; the colours were fierce. I felt like I belonged there. I was fire, I was a lion! I was proud, but I was afraid, too. I was afraid of Mother and Father's reaction. I sent them a letter to tell them how I was doing and that I was sorted into Gryffindor. I wrote, and those are my exact words, 'Mother, Father, I'm in Gryffindor! I know you hoped I would be a Slytherin, but the sorting hat chose differently. It's no big deal. I'm still the same boy.' I never got a letter back. It was the first time I was away from home that long and I didn't receive _a single letter._ I was eleven. All my friends were told that their parents were proud of them, and I didn't. I would've been happy with a bloody howler! Something that proved they acknowledged my existence.  
During Christmas-break I went home. No one hugged me or kissed me. Except for you. You ran into my arms and Father took you by the arm, away from me. It was horrible. They weren't exactly mean to me, they just didn't think it was necessary to make me feel at home. When I got back to school, I was so relieved. It was as if the weight of the world fell of my shoulders. But, then, during the summer-holidays everything started again. I kept quiet. I didn't speak my mind. But once, in third year maybe, Father was talking about mud-bloods and how disgusting they were. I couldn't help but say that one of my best friends was a half-blood and that he was the smartest kid I knew. I told Father he was wrong. That was a mistake. He started to hit me. Did Mother and Father ever hit you? And I don't mean slapping your hand away, but the real thing?" Regulus shook his head. ,,Well, you're lucky. Father is a strong man. He told me he didn't want to hear things like that in his house ever again. That didn't stop me. If anything, it made me want to do more. To speak my mind more. I decorated my walls with muggle-things and Gryffindor decoration. It lasted two years like that and then I decided I had enough and left.  
So don't tell me that they didn't reject me or that I didn't want their love because it's not true." Regulus was pale. He clearly didn't know what to say. It satisfied Sirius to know that he had such an effect on Regulus.

After a while, Regulus recovered and said: ,,I just thought that maybe I wouldn't have to bear all this alone. I thought that maybe I hadn't lost you entirely. That if you just apologized it would be okay. Clearly I was wrong."

,,You made the decision to lose me years ago. Now, it's time to bear the consequences. And, I'll apologize to them when Hell freezes over.", and Sirius walked away.

His friends were still waiting for him. They were the only people left. All the others were gathered in the great-hall.

,,Are you alright?", James asked. ,,We can go to the kitchens and eat there if you don't want to be around people."

,,No. I'm fine. My throat is just a little soar. I don't think I've ever talked that much without interruption."

,,Poor, Regulus, he's traumatized for the rest of his life.", Remus said. ,,But, at least now he can't pretend not to know what your parents did to you."

All of sudden, James started laughing: ,,Sirius Black, you are the biggest drama-queen that ever existed. _I'll apologize when Hell freezes over!_ Who says that?"

,, _I'm a disgrace to name of Black! She's not my mother, but I'm not her son, either"_ , Peter said doing a surprisingly good impersonation on Sirius.

,, _I'm not the one with a heart of stone. Or maybe I am. But that mean she has none."_

,,'I am a lion, I am fire!' should be the Gryffindor-motto.", Remus commented. They opened the door to the great-hall laughing which earned them a sharp look from McGonagall. They sat down as silently as they could. The Sorting Ceremony had already started.

,,Skeeter, Rita,", McGonagall said. A little girl with blond hair and glasses sat on the chair. McGonagall put the hat on her head.  
After a couple of seconds the hat shouted: ,,Slytherin"  
Sirius wondered how different his life would have been if the same had happened to him.

When the marauders left they didn't see how Regulus stood there for another five minutes and went to the Slytherin common-room without having dinner. He started to doubt everything his parents and Voldemort stood for. He was always so sure of the fact het he _wanted_ to be a death-eater and follow his parents, but now, he wondered if Sirius had been right all along. How could his parents do such things to his brother. At only eleven? Soon he buried these thoughts deep in his brain. _I want to be a death-eater._ He told himself. _If I want to win, I have to be on Voldemort's side._

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed this. I know I enjoyed writing it. Thank you for taking the time to read it. It means a lot to me! Again sorry for any mistakes I made. English is not my native language. Please review!**

 **Love,  
Vlindervin**


	5. Chapter 5

,,Everyone, follow us.", Lily shouted.

She and James had to bring all the students to their common-room and make sure all went well and that the first-years got there safely. Lily knew how confusing the castle was when you first arrived, so she made sure to look out for the first-years extra carefully.  
Apparently James thought the same thing. When Lily looked across the hallway she saw him crouching down and helping a little blonde boy who looked utterly lost. If her memory didn't fail her, he had been sorted into Ravenclaw. Or was it Slytherin… She couldn't remember an decided that it didn't matter anyway. She was glad James took his responsibilities as head-boy seriously. She hoped it would last.

She helped a group of Hufflepuffs and they thanked her politely. She remembered her own Sorting Ceremony. The hat had hesitated before sorting her in Gryffindor. He told her that she would do good in Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw, too. He finally chose Gryffindor. She didn't think of herself as particularly brave, but she liked it there.

When everyone was gone and she was the only one left, Lily walked to the her own common-room. Through the window she saw that it was pretty late. She was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to sleep.

,,Bumblebee", she told the Fat lady.

,,Nope", the portrait answered.

,,Excuse me? They gave me that password earlier."

,,I know, but I changed it. A bunch of Ravenclaws heard it. I didn't trust them. But don't worry", she said when she saw that Lily was getting irritated. ,,The head-boy knows. The one with the glasses and messy hair. Quite handsome, too – "

,,Yes, I know who he is.", Lily snapped.

,,No need to be so rude. I was only trying to help.", the Fat Lady mumbled, looking particularly offended for a portrait. Lily felt bad.

,,Sorry. Just, what am I supposed to do now?" Was she supposed to stay here all night? Everyone was inside and there was no reason to come out again.

,,Don't worry, dear. He'll come back soon."

A wave of relief came over Lily. ,,Potter isn't back, yet?"

,,No, he sneaked out with that other black-haired boy."

,,Oh, thank God! I guess I'll just wait here, then.", she sighed and let herself slide down the wall until she sat down.

,,That's lovely! I haven't had company for ages. People hardly ever talk to me. Everyone uses me as a doorway, which I am, but it would be nice to participate in a conversation from time to time, you know. Most people don't even say thank-you. I feel – "

Lily closed her eyes and sighed again. She hoped James would be back soon. She didn't think she could take much whining, right now.  
After twenty minutes Lily decided to go look for James. She knew he could be back and miss her, but she honestly didn't care. Anything to get away from the Fat Lady. Maybe Lily _was_ brave, after all.

She started walking with absolutely no idea of where she was going. Just hoping to bump into him. She listened carefully whenever she passed an empty classroom. He could be in there doing God-knows-what. The portraits on the wall were almost all asleep. Some woke up when Lily passed them. She mumbled some apologies. She was starting to think the Fat Lady had been mistaken and that he came back already, when she heard laughter coming from behind the corner. She quickened her pace and followed the noise. And there he was. Lily was so happy to see him, she could've kissed him. Well, maybe not _that_ happy

,,Oh, thank God!", Lily exclaimed. James and Sirius who were talking and smelled like Butterbeer, looked at her in surprise.

,,Evans?", James asked when he saw who she was.

,,It's past curfew! What are you doing here?", Sirius asked, trying to sound like McGonagall.

,,I'm here because they changed the password and Potter", Lily pointed at him "knows what it is. Everyone else is inside. Although I'm not sure what you two are doing here." Lily said.

James answered: ,,It's a tradition between Sirius and I. First day of school, we sneak into the kitchens and steal some Butterbeer and other things."

,,We don't actually _steal_ it.", Sirius continued," the house-elves _love_ us. Don't they, Prongs?"

,,They do, but who doesn't, right?"

,,I don't", Lily said matter-of-factly.

,,Oh, you do. You're just very good at hiding it.", James said.

,,Whatever helps you sleep at night, Potter"

,,Are you going to tell on us, Evans?", Sirius asked with a smirk.

,,No, but I will if I don't get the damn password soon!"

,,Never expected you to be a swearer. I wonder—", Lily shot him a glare McGonagall would've been proud of and James stopped. ,,Whoa, calm down! Okay the password is _Oh dammit_!"

,,That's the password?", Lily asked.

James looked at her as if she was stupid: ,, _Yes,_ Evans. _That's_ the password. Does that surprise you?"

,,Does it look like I'm in the mood for sarcasm, Potter?"

,,Filch is coming. I heard him", James finally said.

,,What?", Lily exclaimed. ,,If I get detention because of you, Potter. I swear –"

,,Hey! It wasn't my fault. You could've waited for me!"

,,And listen to the fat Lady's whining while you were getting drunk somewhere? I don't think so"

Sirius jumped in between the two. ,,Guys, as much as I enjoy watching you two flirt with each other, Filch is getting closer."

,,We weren't flirting!", James and Lily said in unison.

Sirius smirked getting the reaction he wanted: ,,Ooookay!", he chuckled. ,,Follow the leader!", he said and started running.

They ran around a corner, but Lily tripped and as a reflex grabbed the thing that stood the nearest. That happened to be a statue of an old headmaster. The statue fell to the ground but didn't break. It made an awful lot of noise, though.

,,Oh, _bloody_ well done, Evans. If he finds us, now, it's your fault!"

Lily tried to pick up the statue to put it into place, ignoring James's comment, but Sirius took her by the arm and pulled her with him.

,,I can't just leave the thing on the ground!", Lily shouted and tried to push away Sirius's hand, but couldn't. He didn't look like it, but he was surprisingly strong.

,,Yes, you can! What do you think house-elves are for?"

,,You can't hide! I know where you are!", Filch's voice echoed against the wall.

James cursed and ran even faster. Lily and Sirius followed his example.

,,We can hide here. Quick!", James said opening the door to a broom-closet. Lily and Sirius followed him inside and James shut the door behind him.

,,He's going to find us immediately.", Lily whispered. ,,This is the first place you look if you have _some_ brains."

,,That's the thing, Filch has none.", Sirius said.

James and Sirius were both leaning against a wall, looking totally relaxed. The first was messing up his hair and the second was inspecting his nails.

,,Lumos", James whispered and his wand lighted up.

,,What are we supposed to do, now? Stay here all night?", Lily groaned out of frustration and looked at the boys who, as it seemed, were having a silent conversation. Finally Sirius nodded and shrugged.

,,Alright, Evans", James said, pushing himself off the wall. ,,I'm going to show you something and you have to promise – "

,,She has to solemnly swear it!", Sirius said and James quickly smiled at him. Lily didn't understand why.

,,You have to _solemnly swear",_ James continued,"that you won't tell anyone." He looked her in the eye, which made Lily uncomfortable. His brown eyes pierced into her green ones.

,,I don't know… I mean, what if you take out drugs or something. What am I supposed to do then?"

James looked at her the same way he looked at her when she thought the password was 'oh, dammit'. ,,Do we _look_ like drug-dealers to you, Evans?"

,, _You_ don't, but, no offence, Black, you kind of do. It's the hair", she smiled apologetically. James laughed at that but Sirius said: ,,I'm way too handsome for that. I've never met a _hot_ drug-dealer."

,,Who said drug-dealers couldn't be handsome?", Lily asked

,,Oh, so you think I'm handsome, do you, now?"

,,Oh, so you've met drug-dealers before, did you. Why?"

,,Touché. I'll give you this one, Evans", Sirius said throwing his hands up in defeat.

,,Who's flirting now, huh?", James said, smirking. ,,I was going to show you something, remember?"

,,If that's what's going to get us out of here", Lily sighed. ,,I guess I _solemnly swear_ not to tell anybody."

,,Thank you!", James exclaimed. ,,That wasn't so, right?"

He pulled something out of his pocket.

,,A piece of parchment? Seriously?!"

,,Patience, woman", James said. ,,Ready?" Without giving her time to reply, he tapped his wand on the piece of paper while saying: ,,I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good"

Lily watched the parchment unfold by itself in disbelief. Four names appeared: Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs.

,,Did you _make_ this? That's brilliant!", Lily said, recognizing the names the boys called each other.

,,We know", James said proudly. The whole school appeared on a map.

,,That's how you know all the secret passageways! It makes sense now"

,,Wait, that's not all", Sirius said pointing at their own three names and Filch's name.

,,Oh my God…. That's creepy.", Lily looked at the boys who looked confused. "I mean, you know when people are showering. Or when people are really close to each other in the same room…"

James and Sirius looked at each other and James said: ,,I cannot believe we never thought of this… But wait", suddenly his eyes grew wide," that's why Professor Riley and Professor Kent's name overlap sometimes, because—"

Sirius gasped. ,,Oh, no, no I can't unsee it, now! That's gross!"

,,I can't believe you never thought of this" Lily looked at them in dismay, shaking her head. "You're such idiots!"

James looked at her: ,, _We_ aren't the problem here. _You_ are the one with a dirty mind! Does your daddy know that his little girl isn't as innocent as she looks?"

Lily rolled her eyes at this, but couldn't stop herself from laughing a little.

,,Anyway", Lily said, changing the subject. ,, we have to find Filch, right?"

James nodded and scanned the map with his eyes. ,,Found him. He's in the library. We're good"

He opened the eyes and stepped outside. Lily and Sirius followed him. They walked to the common-room as quietly as possible.

,,Password?", a sleepy Fat Lady askes.

,,Bouillabaisse", James answered, looking at Lily while he said it. Lily looked away.

The door opened and the three of them walked inside. The room was empty. There was still a light fire burning.

,,Alright, I'm going to bed", Lily announced. She yawned. ,,I had quite a good time, actually."

,,You _enjoyed_ breaking the rules, Evans?", Sirius shrieked, looking shocked.

,,Mhm… Kind of"

,,I didn't know you had it in you. I thought you were a good girl! You fooled us all", James said with an expression of betrayal across his face.

,,Well, what can I say. Good girls are just bad girls that haven't been caught.", she said with a wink before heading upstairs, leaving behind two shocked boys.

* * *

 **A/N:** **I really enjoyed writing this. I don't think it's very good, though. I'm sorry for my mistakes… and for using 5 Seconds of Summer lyrics. I'm not really sorry for the lyrics, actually. :)**

 **Review please and thank you for reading!**


	6. Why are you back this late?

,,Why are you back so late. What time's it, anyway?"

,,I think it's around one o'clock. I was with Potter and Black."

,,WHAT? Why _on earth_ were you with them?"

,,Calm down! It was nothing."

,,What was nothing?"

,,Lily spent the night with Potter and Black."

,,You spent the night with _Potter_ and _Black_?"

,,Shhhh! Isabelle's still asleep."

,,She wouldn't wake up if I played the horn next to her head."

,,The horn?"

,,Isabelle would want to know if Lily spent the night with Potter and Black!"

 _,,I did not_ spent the night with Potter and Black!"

,,Oh"

,,Yes, you did. It's almost three in the morning. The night's over."

,,It was _nothing!_ I didn't have the password but Potter did, so I went looking for him."

,,It still doesn't explain why you're back this late."

,,I didn't find them right away. They were getting drunk somewhere and –"

,,Of course, it's their tradition, right?"

,,How would _you_ know that, Liz?"

,,I joined them once."

,,You joined them once?"

,,When Thomas broke up with me, last year."

"I didn't like Thomas."

,,I certainly hope you don't like him, Alice. He cheated on Liz, remember."

,,Yes, we all know what happened, but I want to know why Lily's late."

,,There's not much to say. When I found them, filch heard us so we hid in a brooms closet."

,,Ooooooh, a brooms closet."

,,For Goodness' sake, what do you think happened, Liz?"

,,Well, I don't know. Oh, wouldn't it be fun if you and Potter could go on double dates with Marlene and David?"

,,I don't even go on dates with Davis alone. Why would I go with Potter and Lily?"

,,Why is everyone assuming I'd pick Potter out of the two?"

,,You would date Black?"

,,No! Just go back to sleep."


	7. Chapter 7

,,I'm so tired!", Lily sighed as she sat down at the Gryffindor-table for breakfast. She was accompanied by the other four seventh-year Gryffindor girls. She put some toast on her plate while suppressing a yawn.

,,Well, duh," Isabelle said. Liz already told her everything about last night. ,,You only got like what- four hours of sleep?"

,,Yeah, well it wasn't my fault!", Lily snapped.

,,I know."

,,How come they don't look tired?" Lily nodded her head towards Sirius and James who were sitting three seats away. ,,They probably went to sleep way later then I did!"

James was gesturing animatedly while telling an apparently very cool story, but stopped to wink at Lily when he caught her looking. ,,Tired?", he mouthed.

Lily shrugged in response and turned her attention to Marlene.

,,I wonder when I'll be able to try out for the Quidditch team this year.", she turned to Lily. ,,Hey, Lily, can't you ask Potter. As you're close friends by now.", she said teasing.

,,We're not friends!", Lily answered.

,,More than friends then? He just winked at you."

,,He winked at you!?", Liz shrieked. ,,Didn't I tell you there was something going on? Didn't I?"

Lily rolled her eyes. She knew her friends were just joking, but it annoyed.

,,We're not friends, we're not more than friends either. We're nothing, okay? Now, please, drop it!", she snapped.

,,Yeah, okay. You don't have to be so bitchy about it.", Marlene replied.

,,Lily's tired. I'm sure she didn't meant to hurt.", said Alice, trying to lighten the mood.

,,No, Marlene's right. Sorry, I don't know what's wrong," Lily apologized.

,,Well if that's all cleared up, we should get going. Nearly everyone's gone.", Isabelle said standing up.

,,What's our first class?", Liz asked.

Isabelle looked at the brand-new timetables. ,,Potions with Hufflepuff."

,,Oh, that's okay to start with, isn't it?", said Lily.

,,For you maybe. Slughorn loves you!", Liz laughed.

,,Yeah," Marlene interjected ,,he absolutely hates me. Because, you know, I obviously mess up my potions on purpose."

,,Slughorn doesn't hate you, Marlene", said Alice sweetly. ,,And you're not that bad at Potions."

,,You're very sweet, Alice. But I think it's pretty clear that Potions isn't my best subject."

They were walking and talking when suddenly Isabelle said: ,,Why is no one around?"

She was right. The corridors were deserted. The five girls walked faster. After a few minutes they turned a corner and saw that almost the school was standing around something.

As head-girl, it was Lily's duty to find out what happened.

,,Hey," she asked a blond sixth-year. ,,What's going on?"

,,You better look for yourself.", he looked frightened. He wasn't the only one. All around her, people looked scared and were panicking. Some first- and second-years looked confused.

Lily tried to make her way through the crowd. From the opposite side, McGonagall was doing the same thing.

Lily finally managed to get through and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw what had happened. Her hands flew to her mouth.


	8. Chapter 8

On the wall in front of Lily was a giant drawing of the Dark Mark. It was green and was at least four times as big as Lily. It looked like it had been drawn with magic because it was done perfectly and no one had noticed anything.

,,Please, everyone.", McGonagall tried to get people's attention, but didn't succeed very well. All around her students were whispering and shouting. Some of them were even crying.

Lily was still standing still, not knowing what to do. Apparently McGonagall had enough and pointed her wand at her throat.

,,Sonorus", she muttered. ,,Attention, _please!"  
_ Everyone got quiet immediately. McGonagall's voice was amplified at least by ten and echoed against the high walls of Hogwarts. No one dared to interrupt McGonagall when she spoke like that. Except maybe for Sirius Black and James Potter, which was one of the reasons they spent so much time in detention.

,,I want you all to go to your Common Room and to stay calm. I can imagine that you might be scared, I assure you that you are not the only one. Your head of house will come by later to see if anyone has any questions. For now, just stay calm and go back to you dormitories. Quietus."

She then turned to Lily: ,,Miss Evans. I want you to make sure no one wanders the castle and that everyone stays in their Common Room. I don't see him right now, but I want you to check the hallways with Potter to make sure no one's still out. Thank you.", and she turned on her heels, no doubt on her way to discuss the matter with the staff.

Lily did what she was asked to do and told the prefects to escort all students in their house to the Common Room. She decided to start the patrol alone and find James that way to tell him what had happened. Eventually she ran into him with Sirius by his side.

,,What are you still doing here?", she asked, looking at Sirius. Then at James: ,,And you! You didn't think as Head-Boy you had to do something? I've been looking for you!"

,,Euhm, Evans?", said James confused. ,,You might want to tell us what happened 'cause you're not making any sense right now."

,,How can you not know?"

,,Well, you see", James began, "We were waiting for professor Slughorn with a couple of other people and when he didn't show, we thought we'd visit the kitchens, seen as Sirius wasn't hungry this morning and regretted it afterwards, of course, so he wanted to -"

,,Of course I'm not hungry when I just wake up. Who in their right mind is able to eat in the morning, I mean…"

,,Euhm, me, Remus, Peter,- _?_ "

,,I said 'in their right mind'."

,, _Everyone?_ "

Lily was still standing in front of them and was ready to kill them both. A slow and painful death.

,,SHUT UP!", she screamed. They both turned to her, surprised. They clearly didn't think the situation was that serious. ,,Thank you. Now, let me talk! I have no _clue_ how you are so oblivious, but someone drew the dark mark on one of the walls. McGonagall ordered everyone to go to their Common Rooms. And we," she pointed at James and herself," are supposed to patrol the corridors."

,,Someone _drew_ the Dark Mark on a wall? Pathetic!" Sirius looked at James and they burst out laughing. This certainly wasn't the reaction Lily expected.

,,Excuse me? This is serious!"

,,No, _this_ is Sirius!", James said, pointing at his friend and they cracked up again. ,,If you want to show the dark mark, do it with magic. Don't _draw_ it.

,,Are you _high_ or something? It's the _Dark Mark!_ Voldemort conjures it when he kills people!"

,,We _know_ , Evans. But Voldemort can't come on Hogwarts' grounds. I'm sure Dumbledore thought about that. ", James said. ,,It's probably some Slytherin who wanted to scare us. No big deal."

,,Maybe it was my dear brother. Just to get revenge.", Sirius added.

,,Revenge? Because you didn't want to go see your mother? He wanted to get back at you by scaring the whole bloody school. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense, mate!'", said James, his voice filled with sarcasm.

,,It could happen. I mean, I'd do it."

,,Yeah, but _you're_ Sirius Black, professional drama-queen."

,, _How dare you?!_ "

,,Anyway", James turned to Lily. ,,I really don't think you should worry too much, Evans. Relax."

,,I don't know. Even McGonagall seemed pretty scared."

,,Of course she's scared. One of her students is going to grow up being a death-eater. She doesn't know what to do."

Lily had to admit James' words calmed her down a bit. Maybe he was right. Dumbledore wouldn't let anyone dangerous into the castle, would he? But surely Dumbledore wasn't able to see e _very_ thing? And from what she heard Voldemort had already done some great things. Terrible, but great.

 _Stop that, Lily! Don't think about it too much!_

,,I guess you're right. It doesn't change the fact that Potter and I need to patrol the corridors, though. And that you, Black, are supposed to go back to the Common Room."

,,But of course, Milady.", Sirius said with a bow. ,,I'll leave you two to it, then." And he departed.

,,Your friend's crazy, Potter. I hope you know that."

,,But I do know. I just don't care.", said James.

They started walking and he turned back to her: ,,What are we actually supposed to do, Evans?"

,,We have to check if everyone's inside their Common Rooms. I think that's it. We can go join the others after."

They walked in silence for a couple of minutes before James started talking: ,,So, Evans, tell me. How's life?"

,,Since yesterday, you mean? Well, I'm quiet freaked out about the Mark, but apart from that everything's pretty much the same. But you don't have to do the small talk-thing. Really."

,,I hate awkward silences, so I'm going to do it anyway. What did your friends say when you returned in the middle of the night? They're probably not used to that."

,,No, that's true. They're convinced of the fact that I was on a sort of date with both of you, which Is crazy. They keep saying I 'spent the night with Potter and Black'."

,,Well, they're not exactly wrong."

,,Yeah, but when they say it, it doesn't necessarily mean the same thing."

,,Ah, Sirius is determined to have a threesome at least once in his life and I can't say I wouldn't be up for it to be honest."

,,That is _not_ what I meant. And if you're asking if _I_ would be up for it, then my answer is definitely 'no'.", Lily said, shaking her head. ,,But maybe you and Black should do it anyway. I'm sure you'd enjoy it, with or without me."

,,Haha, you're very funny, Evans", James answered sarcastically. ,,You're just disgusted because you're a virgin."

,,Uh, what the hell does that have to do with anything? How are you even sure I _am_ one, huh?"

,,Well, you _are,_ aren't you?"

Lily was silent for a moment, contemplating what to say. ,,Yeah, I am. You're not, right?"

,,Nah.", he shrugged. ,,Is there, like, a reason. Are you waiting for marriage or something?"

,,No, it just never happened and I have no idea why I'm talking about this with _you,_ out of all people!", she exclaimed, blushing like crazy. She was never comfortable talking about these things with her friends, even.

,,Why me of all people?", James asked, pretending to be offended.

,,Because three days ago I never properly talked to you and, you know, kind of hated you."

,,You don't hate me anymore. That's good."

,,I never _really_ hated you, I guess. I just strongly disliked you."

,,Does that mean you like me, now, huh?"

,,That is not what I said. I just dislike you… less?"

,,You're starting to like me!"

,,Whatever!", Lily said, trying to change the subject. She wasn't entirely sure herself. She definitely did not hate James Potter, anymore. But liking him? ,,I told you something, now it's your turn. When did you lose it?'

,,So blunt, Evans?"

,,I'm just trying to get over my embarrassment by asking you embarrassing questions."

,,I'm afraid that won't be possible."

,,What's impossible?"

,,It's impossible to embarrass me. Especially with questions like that."

,,I will make it my personal job to embarrass you one way or another. Answer my question, Potter!"

,,Why do you want to know so badly?", he said, lifting his eyebrows. Lily shrugged in response. ,,I was fifteen years old, summer holidays at home with some girl I knew."

,, _Some girl._ That's all you have to say about her?"

,,Yeah, she was nice, but I didn't have feelings for her or anything. I barely see her anymore."

,,Oh."

,,What's the matter, Evans?"

,,Nothing."

,,Wait, I know. You were expecting some romantic story with candle-light and how it was perfect, weren't you?"

,,No! I mean, what do I care?"

,,You're a bad liar. It think you read too much books. Perfect Love stories don't exist. The puzzle-pieces-falling-into-place kind of thing, its' not reality."

,,Why not. I think it's possible. But maybe you're right. Maybe I _do_ read too many books.", she shrugged. ,,I guess, most of all, I want to believe it exists."

,,Everyone _wants_ to believe. Some just think it's better to see the truth." Lily was surprised by the bitterness in his words.

After that they were mostly quiet. Lily didn't understand how it was possible that she just had this deep, heartfelt conversation with James Potter. Two days ago she couldn't even hear his name without wanting to kick something (or someone) and now she was talking about love. She never liked small talk and preferred meaningful conversations, she just never could've predicted she would be having them with Potter.

After they walked for half an hour, they headed towards the Gryffindor Common Room. Inside they both went their own way, looking for their friend.

Around three o'clock in the afternoon, McGonagall came in. Everyone went quiet at once. She announced that classes were to start the next day (the day was basically over, anyway), the staff found nothing suspicious regarding the 'drawing' on the wall. ,,It was probably a stupid way to try to scare us. If anyone knows anything about what might have happened, I ask you to report this piece of information to the Head-master or any teacher, really. You don't have to worry." She asked if there were any questions ( Someone wanted to know if Voldemort would be able to enter Hogwarts. The answer was 'no, of course not. Do you think Dumbledore would allow that. Don't be stupid!') and she departed.


End file.
